“Confession: the anti-crisis plan lacks half its money”

29.02.2016

The situation in our economy is hardly encouraging. It was clear to all Russians since the beginning of the crisis. But the government even in December 2015 believed that no additional action is required, everything is going exactly according to plan. Today it is hastily trying to adopt new crisis management plan with special measures. And finds money.

photo: Gennady Cherkasov

This document contains about 60 points. According to Dmitry Medvedev, the difference is not the approved plan of “saving Russia” from the previous ones is that it creates a backlog of “sustainable economic development in the medium term”. In addition, it offers dynamic response to external challenges and the unconditional fulfillment of social obligations to citizens.

Of course, any plan that comes from the pen of the Cabinet, the government considers it realistic. Just what is the issue price of the proposed measures? There is no clarity. The Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov has already said that money in the Treasury on antikrizisnyi activities total about 120 billion will be Enough to support the industry, and to maintain social programs?

For example, the Communists propose to refer to the experience in 1998, when the country out of crisis pulled out Yevgeny Primakov, and the barrel of oil cost less than $ 15. And it was a success.

Because the Communist party has developed its own alternative plan of action – with the “center-left turn”. Funds into your turn, they propose to take in the Holy of holies – in the gold reserve of the Motherland. If it is not enough, it is possible to introduce a progressive tax, the monopoly on tobacco and alcohol. On the eve of the Duma elections, they did not forget about its main ridge: the revision of the privatization, that is nationalization of raw materials.

Which way will the country?

– Personally I to this genre treat with caution, says “MK” famous Russian economist, Deputy Director of the Institute of world economy and internationalrelations Yevgeniy Gontmakher. – Judge for yourself: if the Federal Ministry lay in the plan of their needs, and then it turns out that kind of money in the budget is not close, it is clear as day that the Department terribly far from real life. How can you hold any event, if there is no money? And will discuss: there are no funds for some activities, let’s have others that are not as costly. But this is not an anti-crisis plan. Last year, we’ve developed a strategy to combat the crisis. But he is still here, might even have deepened.

– What, in your opinion, such a document should be?

– Needed program of reforms…

– But also need money!

– Not necessarily, and quite different. For example, to reform the state corporations and natural monopolies, don’t need special tools. But they will become more transparent, we will understand how they spend state “infusion”. So far their efficiency — efficiency is very low.

Need small business support in the country — we also do not yet see.

I called two immediate problems, though there are many more. Take judicial reform or public administration. Because in order to reform, you need to be able to do it ü. And as we are fighting the crisis and adopted the anti-crisis program clearly visible today.